Halle is the first black woman to make the cover of Vogue's September issue since 1989. "What that means for a woman of color and what that means in the fashion world, what that means to pop culture," she says:

"There was no way I could say, 'No, I'm not going to be on the biggest issue of the year.'" [Vogue]

Naomi Campbell's behavior at the Charles Taylor trial — from spurning prosecutors' attempts to get in touch with her until the court had to issue a subpoena, to claiming on the stand that she had no idea the "dirty looking pebbles" the accused war criminal's men gave her were diamonds, to calling the whole thing "a huge inconvenience" to her — may prevent jewelers from booking her. [Telegraph]

Here are two more shots from Beyoncé's House of Dereon campaign — her fake tattoos, upon closer inspection, include lots of spiders and bugs. [X17]

Kristen Bell, who designed a high-heeled sandal, the proceeds from which go 100% to a worthwhile charity, you may continue. [ONTD]

Mayor Mike Bloomberg and Vogue editor Anna Wintour, along with a gaggle of designers, announced some of this year's festivities for Fashion's Night Out at a press conference yesterday. Marc Jacobs remembers last year's inaugural event fondly: "It took me about two hours to get down two blocks because I was stopped every single minute by people who were out on the street for Fashion's Night Out. It felt like a block party, and it felt like a sense of community and it felt like what I think fashion and shopping is all about — a social ritual people enjoy." [WWD]

One of those hard-selling mall kiosks that hawk lotions and potions took advantage of a mentally disabled man to the tune of nearly $300 — and then refused to provide a refund. [Consumerist]

"Fashion is a pink-and-lavender discipline. It's associated with women and gay men, and there is an ongoing perception that this is a lighthearted subject. It can be, but the legal issues are every bit as complicated and hard to crack as in any other field," says Susan Scafidi, blogger, law professor, and the director of Fordham law school's new Fashion Law Institute. She's decorated her office with a lavender RM by Roland Mouret dress, and a pink knock-off of it by the label Rare. "In fashion, it's about the law that touches the garment at every point in its existence. So we start with things like [what] impacts intellectual-property law? Then we move to areas in business and finance as the garment is produced, as a company is run, as there are employees involved — and that can be inside employees or independent contractors, like, for example, models. Then you have questions of import/export, of government regulation, of safety and sustainability, and so we have green fashion questions. And then toward the end of the course, we come to the point of the life in the garment where it actually reaches the consumer and is worn by the consumer. So we have some consumer-protection issues, but we also have civil-rights issues, having to do with what you wear to work, or not, what you can wear to school, or not, as well as questions of really broad issues like banning the burka, and can France do that and could that ever happen in the United States?" [The Cut]

Speaking of liability issues, Bergdorf Goodman is so concerned about bedbugs it has taken to patrolling its Fifth Avenue stores with bug-sniffing beagles as a precautionary measure. Abercrombie & Fitch, Hollister, and Victoria's Secret, all of which faced recent infestations, now say they are bedbug-free. [WWD]

A New York-area shoe company called Valley Lane is suing Victoria's Secret for allegedly cutting a back-room deal with their longtime suppliers in order to entice the suppliers to drop Valley Lane. [NYDN]

Karl Lagerfeld's photography will be exhibited at the Maison Européenne de la Photographie in Paris during the city's fashion week. [Vogue UK]

In fact, here are a bunch of Vena Cava for Aqua pieces shown alongside the original Vena Cava garments that inspired them — unfortunately, most of the less expensive things look far cheaper than they actually are. Viva Vena for Aqua still costs $98-$198. [Shop Cheap Look Loaded]

Former Ungaro designer Esteban Cortazar — the guy who was dropped in favor of Lindsay Lohan — designed a capsule collection for Exito, which is sort of like the Target of Latin America. [Fashion Toast]

Cintra Wilson's byline on a Times Critical Shopper column is a welcome sight after her long absence. [NYTimes]

Bon Appetit magazine will be running a café at Lincoln Center during fashion week, with all kinds of fancy foodstuffs. [WWD]

Macy's second quarter results are in, and they're good: the chain's same-store sales rose 4.9% on the same period last year, and earnings rose from $7 million a year ago to $147 million. [WWD]

Gap is going to offer online shopping to customers in 65 different countries by the end of this year on its Banana Republic, Old Navy, Piperlime, Athleta, and Gap websites; currently, it only allows U.S. shoppers to buy online. [WWD]

John Varvatos: "Banana Republic and the Gap — they don't have their own personality. They're followers. I spent a lot of years working for Ralph Lauren, and he had so many copycats, from Tommy Hilfiger to Abercrombie & Fitch to J. Crew. Many people have followed us too and have been successful." [Playboy]

Quel scandale! Three of society snapper Patrick McMullan's photographers have left the company and they are starting their own business taking pictures of pretty people at parties just in time for fashion week. [WWD]